1st Battalion 22nd Infantry Newsdletter Jan 11 page 3

I hope that you and your loved ones experienced a wonderful Holiday Season. Please know that I appreciate all of the
countless packages we received over the past month. The Dealers enjoyed opening boxes and unwrapping gifts.
All Soldiers spent time remembering all of our accomplishments over the course of the past five months.
Every Soldier within this Company Team contributed to our success. We see it every day.
December proved busy for the Dealers. We continued to improve the security situation within the Malajat area.
Upon countless occasions, local villagers have explained to us how much they appreciate
the security that our forces provide. It is exhausting work for your Soldiers as they spend time building relationships
with local leaders who in turn provide information that helps us remove any threats to the area. Platoons discovered
weapons caches buried in all different types of locations. They found rifles, ammunition, communication
devices, explosive materials, and an assortment of equipment that the enemy stored for future use. Our ability to find
and destroy these locations severely degrades the enemy’s ability to launch attacks and
threaten the population. The lack of foliage allows us ample opportunity to search pomegranate orchards and other fields
that were overgrown with vegetation during the summer and early fall. Coupled with cache discoveries, we also found
and cleared improvised explosive devices that were set in by enemy forces. Every Soldier understands
the importance of our current fight and the threat that exists. They have developed awesome skills to counter any and all enemy
tactics. The enemy realizes that we are focused on their destruction. This serves as a significant deterrent to their future operations.
Along with our security focus, we continue to design and complete projects that improve local villages within the area.
For example, we continue to rebuild a local school in a village called Kakaro Gushkaneh.
The contractors installed a basketball court, but unfortunately hung the rims upside down. We helped them fix that
and they appreciated our ability to teach basketball. Perhaps we will host a tournament at the school in conjunction
with March Madness…hahaha. We also developed local programs to employ villagers that don’t have a job
during the winter season. These villagers fix roads, clean canals, and basically improve the village itself. Local villagers
welcome these opportunities as it allows them to bring home money to support their Families. We will maintain
our focus on development as we seek to improve the livelihoods of our Afghan neighbors.
Your Soldiers opened the year in frigid Fort Carson, Colorado beginning a rigorous training schedule that would prepare them
for their current operations. We trained in snow, rain, sleet, wind, and even the heat of central Louisiana. We ended 2010
by removing the Taliban from a historical stronghold location, bringing security to thankful communities, and working to better
their lives every day. That’s impressive. The past five months have allowed us to defeat the Taliban in the Malajat
area. I am ever so proud of the accomplishments I witness on a daily basis from your Soldiers. I am so thankful for their continued
efforts and dedication to pushing this fight against the enemy and building relationships with local villagers. They have
done so much. They have received praise and recognition from the highest levels of military command. Your Soldiers excel
every day even when faced with austere conditions. That’s something that impresses me the most. Your Soldiers don’t
complain; they accomplish their mission, serving unselfishly. I am so fortunate to lead Soldiers with those characteristics.
I would like to close this article with including a fond farewell to an incredible Soldier and leader. My 1SG, 1SG Charles Jones,
will be assuming another First Sergeant position with the Brigade’s Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment. This position
is reserved for a high performing Non Commissioned Officer. I can’t think of another one more deserving of this promotion
than 1SG Jones. He welcomed me in after I assumed Command. He provided me with a wealth of information and suggestions
that helped make my job easy. He served as a mentor and counselor that assisted me with numerous issues both on
and off of the battlefield. The Dealer Soldiers respected and admired him. He will be missed, but the Army needs his skills
and abilities at a higher level. It’s a great thing that he will operate and Kandahar Airfield as he will always have an “in” and be
able to push the good supplies to our locations…hahaha. I will miss 1SG Jones and his calm, confident demeanor that contributed
to our success within Malajat.
Please know that you can always contact me Furthermore, you can contact
my wife, Sarah, with any Family
Readiness Group questions. We seek to help you in any way possible.
May God Bless You and Your Loved Ones,

I would like to start off this month’s newsletter with my sincere gratitude for all the great times I have had in D Company for the
last 17 months; it has been the best time of my Army career. I will be moving over to be the 1SG for HHD, 1STB around the middle
of January. There are several MSG in the Brigade who have never been a 1SG and CSM Kinlock is making several changes
throughout the Brigade to help out NCO professional development. I will not be too far away and will keep a close eye on our
young Soldiers of Dealer Company.
We have also not gotten our SPAWAR up at ACS-4 yet, we now have all the necessary equipment and the rep should be out here
next week. I am sorry we could not have the face to face Christmas I was hoping for, but it will be coming soon.
Christmas day was another great day at ACS-4 and our other locations. All Soldiers enjoyed a fine meal and some needed rest
and fun time with each other. There were plenty of games played on the PS3 that was donated to ACS-4 by the USO. The USO also
donated games and other fun items to our other location. New Years Eve was a truly interesting event; we spent a lot of
time at ANCOP HQ in meeting and some wild games. The CDRs and 1SG tried to have a race on camels, and YES I SAID camels.
We all got to ride; however, the camels were not too much into the race part. It was truly a comedic event. We then had a BN
formation and awarded several combat awards to each of the Companies. The recipients from D Company were SGT Lambert
and PFC Chacon (CIB); SPC Neuenswander and SPC Kelley (CAB). D Company also had several promotions to SPC since our last letter:
SPC Richard Kelley
SPC Ethan Long
SPC Trevor Neuenswander
SPC Joel Palomeque
SPC Joshua Pierce
Once again, I thank all for the support of our great young Americans!!!!!!!!!!!
I wish all a blessed and happy new year (2011).
GOD BLESS AMERICA, OUR SOLDIERS AND FAMILIES,
AMEN.

During the month of December the HQ’s PLT has been busy ensuring that all of the mail and end items that make our Christmas
enjoyable were in place throughout the company. Between day and night time operations the HQ’s PLT continues to be the backbone of
Dealer Company. Although it is difficult to support the many locations that the company has, HQ’s continues to excel at ensuring all
the locations receive the support that they need in all aspects. This includes long days of maintenance, force protection,
ensuring communications platforms are up and functional, command post operations,
battle tracking and the always present daily patrols in which a few of our Soldiers partake. SGT Johnson has been filling in as our
HQ’s PLT SGT and has been doing an exceptional job of executing, while maintaining his Company Intelligence Support Team
(COIST) and Battle NCO duties.
SPC Hebblethwaite (Hebbs) surpasses his Radio and Telephone Operator duties while he maintains constant situational awareness
and participating in our COIST operations. SSG Craig has taken on the new role of interpreter manager while SSG Pierce is on leave.
SGT Holland and SGT Gangl have been maintaining the company’s vehicles and also the generators throughout Dealer’s area of operation.
Not enough good things can be said for the men that are Dealer Company’s HQ’s PLT. They go beyond the REGULAR standard on a
daily basis, and continue to do so as we reach our goal of ensuring that security improves inside of Kandahar City, Afghanistan. They
train our partnered Afghan National Security Forces, by mentoring them in the basic, yet necessary skills needed to make them
a selfsufficient force. At the same time, focusing on the non-security mission of developing the city’s vital infrastructure. Thus, helping
the government’s ability to support its people.
This past month HQ’s celebrated its Christmas with turkey, ham, steak and all the amenities of a delicious dinner. We all wish our
Families and friends season’s greetings and a happy new year. We will continue to strive to ensure Afghanistan’s security continues to
improve so that the following Christmases will be celebrated at home with our Families. Please continue to support your Soldiers on
the frontline as they serve their country with the utmost honor, dignity and respect.

December was a busy month for the 1st Platoon Dealer Company Reapers.
We had another month of successful combat operations, received new personnel, made some adjustments to leadership,
made moves of personnel, had a trip to Kandahar Airfield, sent some of your boys on leave and had a wonderful Christmas.
Your boys continue to patrol the streets and fields of Malajat with a zeal just like when they arrived here. Two large
clearing operations led to weapons cache discoveries and the company capturing a High Value Target.
The security presence we provide with our Afghan Security Forces (ANSF) is easily recognized as many of the families
forced to flee the area are returning to their homes. The boys also provide training on a daily
basis with our ANSF partners to assist them in taking a leading role in this fight one day. The kids around here still continue
to show their affection as several of them have given Afghan names to their favorites, PFC Flores
and PFC Anastasi, who provide them with daily treats you send.
We welcomed the arrival of SPC Small, a New Yorker that loves Boston sports, well, all except the Red Sox.
We also welcomed SPC Sease. SPC Sease is no stranger to Dealer Company. He has been with our brothers in
2nd Platoon and has come to the Reapers as a Gun Team Leader with a different set of experiences. Doc Keith,
our Platoon medic before the deployment, came up to help us out while Doc Gleba was home with loved ones.
We were happy to be able to send some more of your boys home to you. SSG Rodriguez, SSG Reich, PFC Moreau,
Doc Gleba and SGT Haas were able to be with Family close to the Holidays. We already received
SSG Reich back and PFC Moreau should be here any day. These Soldiers are all major role players in the platoon
and volunteered for early leave dates to be back in time for the busier months ahead.
SGT Williams moved over to the Gun Team Leader position, opening up the Fire Team Leader position for PFC Gates.
This will help develop PFC Gates for his future in this Army. He is doing an outstanding job.
We had to say good bye to the Sniper section attached to us. SSG Nichols, SPC Larannaga and PFC Ruis assisted
the rest of the Ammo Bearers, Team Leaders, Riflemen and Squad Leaders. They were needed at the
battalion level and we sent them off with well deserved Reaper Patches as they will always be part of our platoon.
We also lost Wombat, our beloved mascot, to natural causes. He came to us at a time we needed companionship
and there is no doubt that his last three months were the best the dog ever had. We gave him an honorable burial.
I recited a eulogy for him and the platoon buried him with a Reaper Patch. His buddy Koochie Mamma and
Girlfriend Sheila are still with us and carrying on his spirit.
A majority of the boys made a well deserved trip to Kandahar Airfield for a little down time. It was the first time in
over two months for most of them. It’s amazing what some pizza, fancy coffee and a trip to the Post
Exchange can do to our morale and wallets. Christmas Eve was filled with the Holiday Spirit. The Battalion Commander,
Operations Sergeant Major and Chaplain spent the night with us. We sang Christmas carols by the fire, learned a bit about
the true meaning of Christmas and listened to PFC Long’s Platoon rap mix. The Commander
watched a bit of the show “How I Met Your Mother” with the boys and started Christmas off with him and I telling some
Ranger stories. After the Command Team left, I hosted a Secret Santa with the care packages the
Dealer Company Family Support Group, the Noziska and Grochowiak Families and all of you had sent us.
We took a trip to the Company Combat Outpost and had both steak and turkey for dinner. It was a Happy
Holiday. I want to thank all of you for giving us a boost in our Holiday spirit.

The month of December has been busy for 2nd Platoon, Dealer Company, 1-22 IN. 2nd Platoon has focused
their attention to engaging the people of Afghanistan on a more frequent basis. We do patrol after patrol just
talking to the people of this country to see where they need help and introducing them to the ways of the
government. We have focused our efforts on getting Wakhils (representatives) elected for surrounding villages.
This expedites the process of getting improvement projects approved through GIRoA. Gaining the
confidence of the local population will help us reach our ultimate goal of defeating the insurgency. 2nd Platoon
remains fixed on the task of winning but our Families are always in the back of our minds. All of us would like
to wish everyone a Happy Holiday from Afghanistan. We celebrated this Holiday Season with a traditional
Afghan BBQ of goat, sheep, and ALL AMERICAN t-bone steaks. We culminated our day of celebration with a
competitive game of dodge-ball. 2nd Platoon hopes that all of you enjoyed the Holiday as much as we did. 2nd
platoon wishes you the best as we ring in the new year.

During the month of December, 3rd Platoon has continued to excel in securing and developing the villages in Western Dand District,
Kandahar and in training and legitimizing the Afghan National Security Forces. It may be especially challenging to work through the
Holiday Seasons as friends and Family gathered at home; however, 3rd Platoon maintained the successes they had worked so hard for
during the last few months and celebrated the holidays with their brothers in arms.
3rd Platoon celebrated the season’s holidays at ACS-5 with sports, games, phone calls home, and a simple but plentiful dinner together.
Though everyone was certainly thinking of home, the platoon made the best of circumstances, and enjoyed the day. Christmas morning,
3rd Platoon shared the holiday spirit by greeting and passing out small gifts and candy to Afghan children and their families. The platoon
continues to build solid relationship s amongst the villages, essential to maintaining good security and removing the insurgency.
3rd Platoon has also demonstrated continued success gradually employing villagers for local clean-up and village improvement initiatives.
The platoon continues to help Afghans place more trust and faith in their government and security forces.
The platoon welcomed back PFC Wooten, PFC Sweetman, and PFC Redd from R&R, and sent off SFC Morales, SPC Cortes,
and PFC Pierce. As the deployment nears the halfway mark, everyone is eager to take a well-deserved vacation.
3rd PLT welcomes the New Year as a time to complete their mission and come home to Family and friends. The platoon remains
heavily focused and determined to bring security to Afghanistan and bring everyone home safe.

First of all I want to take this opportunity to say hello to all and that I hope this finds you before the Holiday Seasons.
I want to begin by providing everyone with a little background of myself. I grew up in central North Carolina just outside of Raleigh,
where I stayed until graduating High School. My college days were spent in Greenville, NC attending East Carolina
University graduating from the School of Business and ARMY ROTC in 2008. My wife, Janessa, and I recently welcomed our
first child, Maddox, as the first addition to our new Family. The following is dedicated to all of you reading this, and most importantly the
Soldiers of 1st Platoon. I will begin by saying that I am truly honored to be serving with each of your loved ones here in Kandahar. Our
deployment thus far has been a very fast pace and demanding one to say the least. At first we found ourselves responsible for 4 police substations,
and each of their perspective area’s of responsibility. Now, six months into deployment we are able to concentrate on just one,
bringing a little bit more stability to the day-to-day operations for the troops. The mission that the Soldier’s have is a very demanding one,
both mentally and physically to which they have adapted to and continue to accomplish each day the sun comes up. I know that they
have shared their stories with you over the past few months and as they will continue to do so until June. Currently, we find ourselves
under operational control of Delta Company, 1-22 Infantry out of Fort Carson, Colorado. They have welcomed us into their company and
treat us as one of their own. I can not reiterate enough the amazing job that 1st Platoon is doing here in Malajat, Afghanistan and from
the bottom of my heart what an Honor it is to serve with them. On a parting note, I want to leave everyone with the following: A leader is
just as good or just as bad as the troops under his command make him.

I will be the first to admit that this newsletter is long overdue. I and LT Moyer have noticed in recent newsletters
that have been published that a lot of what our platoon was doing was going unnoticed. My name is SFC
Eddie Vader and I have been in the Army 13 years now. This is my third deployment. My wife, Tara, and three
children are living in Yelm. I love what it is that I do. Each day I ensure that the Soldiers in this platoon are taken
care of to the degree that is expected of by their Families and loved ones back home. It is hard enough having to deal with the
fact that someone you love is far away in a not so friendly place but I do hope that you can find some comfort in knowing that your
Soldiers are being taken care of as if they were my own children. I am continually amazed by the effort that these Soldiers put
fourth in our day to day operations. The first 100 days were absolute madness. Being responsible for 4 Afghani Police Stations,
then handing 3 of them over to other MP units. Then, our platoon played a major role in the clearing operation of the Malajat area
of Kandahar which prior to the operation was an area held by the Taliban. For two weeks, we occupied a small compound, slept in
the dirt, ate MREs, and went without showers. In previous years, other Coalition Forces and the ANP would not dare enter this area
for fear of the Taliban. At the beginning of October, the 4th Infantry Division selected our platoon to be attached to their company,
D CO, 1-22 IN, which operated in the Malajat. We were chosen not only because we had been operating here since June, but
more importantly because they had been aware of the excellent performance of the Soldiers in this platoon. Each Soldier here is
a proud testament to their Families back home. Now we find ourselves living and operating daily within the Malajat. Enemy
contact has been minimal. The Taliban can no longer roam freely within this area and oppress the locals as they had done in the
past. A couple of weeks ago our platoon visited a nearby school and gave school supplies to around 100 local children. We also
talked to them about why we are here and reminded them how important is was for them to be in school. This visit was a highly
rewarding experience for all of us because even though a lot of the older locals around us might not agree with why we are here,
the youth of this country will never forget who we are and why we were here. The results of what we are doing now are not quickly
noticed but you can bet that this younger generation of Afghanis will realize and understand what we did here and make this a
better place. This is a rough deployment, definitely the hardest out of my three. But at the same time I will say that this is the
most rewarding. These are some amazing Soldiers in this platoon, whom I will always remember. They will all return home to
you better than when they left, proud of what they have done. They will have the stories to tell that all will want to hear for the
rest of their lives about the time they spent in the Rogue Platoon in Kandahar Afghanistan.

During the month of December the 2ND SQD, 1ST PLT, 511TH MP CO has focused most of their time with training
the ANP Soldiers from PSS 15, Sharan Jan CP, and Polan CP. The training is going to be key knowledge for the ANP Soldiers.
This is what it will take to make them self sustainable and not dependent on Coalition Forces for safety and security.
The focus for the month was all about the basics of being a Soldier and the importance of training. Some of the highlighted training
was Basic Rifle Marksmanship, Community Policing, Physical Fitness and Guard Duties. The NCO’s and Soldiers both take
their turns when it comes to training the ANP Soldiers. These ANP Soldiers show great motivation and dedication
when it comes time for training and mentorship. This shows that they are ready to accomplish and go after whatever lies ahead
in their future. The MP Soldiers will even kick around a soccer ball or play a game of cards every now and
then. This demonstrates to them that we are not like robots and we also like to have fun which sets a good atmosphere for the training.
Along with the training we conduct combat missions to show how well the ANP Soldiers can remember their duties and responsibilities.
They all understand how important their job is to the overall security of the area.

Happy 2011 Friends and Family! Mark another eventful year for Eliminator Company and for all of you who have supported us and
our endeavor to Afghanistan. As we move forward I ask that you look back through the busy year as Soldiers trained at Fort Carson,
JRTC in FT. Polk, Louisiana and to the good times we have had at Family functions and the Battalion Ball. I am ecstatic to have been
a part of it all and especially grateful for the Soldiers and Family members I have had the privilege to meet. I’m blessed as a commander
to have seen your Soldiers grow professionally over the last year and can’t imagine what the Army has in store for us in 2011.
As you well know, last month was tough for all of us to be away from our loved ones. It always is. Be rest assured that our Holiday
Season wasn’t without joy or celebration. We had another delicious and fantastic Christmas Dinner. I would like to personally
thank SFC Sykes, SGT Rivers, SPC Matin, SPC Finnegan, PFC Hill and SPC Alcorta for their extremely hard work coordinating all the
Christmas meals distributed in the Battalion. SPC Parr also made some home-made deviled eggs that were welcomed by all! Although
it is a tough time of year, Soldiers began getting Christmas packages in the beginning of the month and it continued through
New Years. I would like to personally thank our Family Readiness Group Volunteers for taking the time putting stockings together for
our company! Your time and effort was appreciated by all. A couple of events throughout the month are very memorable
for me personally and even more so for the Soldiers who were recognized. As a commander, my three favorite things are promoting
Soldiers, re-enlisting Soldiers and awarding Soldiers. We had eleven promotions this month, twelve awardees receiving the Good
Conduct Medal or Combat Action Badge, and one Soldier who reenlisted to continue serving his country in a time of war. The nine
brave Soldiers awarded the Combat Action Badge were pinned on New Year’s Eve under torchlight in a “Ring of Honor” ceremony.
This award brings them into a brotherhood during a great period in history for the United States and Afghanistan.
I know I say this every newsletter, but hopefully this will be the last time. Once again the movement has been postponed, but
maybe, just maybe by next newsletter, I will be able to say that we have settled into our new location. Yes, a move would take us
away from our beloved Hotel California and some amenities, but would put us in a better logistical location to support our Battalion.
Our future home will give us the pleasure of a good gym with treadmills and new weight sets. This will definitely be a step up. We will
also continue our morale days during the week like any ballcap Saturday. This gives us something to look forward to throughout
the week where Soldiers can wear a baseball cap of their choosing. We are also looking at starting a cigar night as well, as many have
picked up the hobby. No matter where the next month takes us, we will continue to succeed and provide the finest of logistical support
throughout Kandahar City. There are many people to thank among you who have taken the time to read this month’s newsletter.
It is you that supports these fine men and women who diligently perform their jobs day to day.
It is you, I thank for the moral and ethical lessons our Soldiers have learned and put to use each day making decisions
that may affect them and fellow Soldiers for years to come. Your Soldier’s work is proof that our country is the greatest nation
and that we can and will endure in any situation. Thank You and I hope you enjoy this month’s history in pictures
and each of the platoon’s newsletter submissions! I hope you have had a wonderful 2010 and are looking
forward to a prosperous and memorable year ahead.

Happy New Year! With 2010 behind us now I think back on the last year with pride and a sense of accomplishment. Over the last
year I have watched this unit grow into a well disciplined, technically and tactically proficient organization.
I would like to thank SFC Sykes, SSG Rivera, SPC Finnigen, SPC Matin, SPC Alcorta, SPC Parr, PFC Murphy for the outstanding job
they did in preparing our Thanksgiving and Christmas meals. These Non-Commissioned Officers and Soldiers truly brightened our Holiday
Season. I would like to congratulate Sergeant Sutton, SPC Chen, SPC Clingmon, SPC Frye, SPC Lopez, SPC Mallet,
SPC Tremblay, SPC Wray on their promotions December 1st, 2010. I would also like to congratulate SPC Alcorta, SPC Ko,
SPC Skidmore, SPC Whittemore, PFC Hill, PFC Scott, PFC Watkins and PV2 Hammond on their promotions January 1, 2011.
On New Year’s Eve, CPT Rossol and attended a Ring of Honor ceremony for our Soldiers who have received
Combat Action Badges. It was an honor to witness the following Soldiers receive their combat action
badges for engaging or being engaged by the enemy: SGT Coburn, SGT Crosby, SPC Mallet, SPC Olney, SPC Hughes,
SPC Schmidt, PFC Neal, PFC Ducharme, PFC Frye.
I hope that the Family members back home had a blessed holiday season, and I thank you all for the continuous support you
provide to your Soldier. I look forward to finishing this deployment as your First Sergeant and getting your Soldier home to you soon.

Happy New Years, from Hotel California and many Blessings to you and your Family. 2010 has passed us by at the blink of an eye,
and now we are celebrating a new and Blessed 2011. We are looking forward to see this year’s expectations rise, as our Chain of
Command promotes six of Head Quarters Soldiers to the following Ranks: SPC Ko, SPC Alcorta, PFC Scott, PFC Hill, PFC Watkins,
and PV2 Hammond. These Soldiers have done an outstanding job and have shown the dedication and motivation needed to excel to their
next grade of rank. Congratulations to the Soldiers and the entire Chain of Command for believing in and encouraging them to become
Soldiers of success.
The month of February Birthdays are as follows: SSG Rivera February 8th and SGT Hayden February 26th, Happy Birthday in advance,
we hope that you all have a safe and blessed birthday. As the regular football season comes to an end, we are awaiting
to see who will make it to the Super Bowl, we plan on serving these items during the Main Event: Breaded Chicken wings, Hot and spicy
wings, Assorted Pizzas, Mozzarella Sticks, Jalapenos Poppers with cheese, Jalapeno Poppers with cream cheese, Onion rings, BBQ Hot
pockets, assorted pastries and sodas. Anytime we have a chance to boost the Soldier’s morale we will do it. Later on in the month, we
will enhance our community Gym area, which will allow your Soldier to create a new work out plan and share with others what exercises
will help them tone muscles and allow everyone to grow closer together.
Every Month, your Soldiers are eager to share their knowledge with other service members to maintain unit proficiency. As we all
grow together, the time here gives us all chance to expand our leadership capacity, which in return makes our Soldiers stronger
mentally and physically. We anxiously await to see our Families again and share with them all that we have learned from one another.
Well until next month’s newsletter, we will continue to strive and achieve our goals and return home safely. God Bless and
Happy New Years once again, from the HQ’s Platoon and Echo FSC.

The Maintenance Platoon has been steadfast and busy throughout the month of December. The Holidays always bring
a mixture of emotions for the Soldiers serving in a combat zone. We have the joys and memories from
Christmas past, the events and celebration of the present holiday and the hopes and dreams of future holidays with our Family
and friends. We all thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your gifts, support and love through this very emotional time.
We are about to surpass the mid-way point of our deployment and it makes me think of a wise saying I once heard,
“Celebrate your achievements today but be mindful of the challenges tomorrow.” We have accomplished
so much up to this point and we continue to acknowledge our Soldier’s achievements and lead them into the future with
diligence and certainty that there is an end in sight. We will not lose focus on our mission and we will continue to fight
the enemies of freedom one wrench turn at a time.
We have continued to maintain our fleet well above the Army Standard this month; that should be no surprise to any of you
out there as we are dealing with some of the finest Soldiers and mechanics in our military today.
We have continued with scheduled services, installing parts, Force Protection, QRF(Quick Reaction Force) Recovery,
and the multitude of other taskings that the Maintenance Platoon is responsible for. SPC Young and SFC Scapazzo
took some time out of their busy day to make a water bottle Christmas tree. I think it became a competition as SFC Scapazzo built the
first one at around 3 feet tall and SPC Young answered back with a new design and quite a bit taller. After Christmas,
SPC Young refused to throw his tree away as he wanted to admire it into the New Year. I think there was a
small tear when the tree finally made its way into the burn pit. We said a few parting words and it went up in flames.
The tree of the 2010 Christmas will not be forgotten.
We would like to welcome some of our newborn mechanics this month. Congratulations to SGT Syroka and his wife
who welcomed their new little one into the world and PFC Taylor and his wife are also celebrating a new
addition to the Family this month. Congratulations to both of those Families. We are happy that we were able to get
those Soldiers home for the birth of their children.
I would like to close this portion of the newsletter out by thanking all the Family and friends for their support through the Holidays.
We as Soldiers are only as strong as the Family, friends and nation that stand behind us and support us.
On behalf of myself, the maintenance Chief, SFC Zimprich, SFC Scapazzo and the rest of the amazing Soldiers
in the Maintenance Platoon, we wish you a blessed New Year and we look forward to seeing you all again very soon in 2011.

It’s the beginning of January now and the Distribution platoon is still standing strong. The platoon continues to work hard through
this deployment, growing both individually and collectively at Hotel California and out on the road. The platoon continues to stay busy
with Combat Logistics Patrols, load up, and training. Through the month of December the platoon has collectively conducted up to
130 logistics patrols, assisted with check-point fortifications, and moved Alpha Company Headquarters element to a new location, all
with the hard work and dedication of every Soldier in the platoon. Cargo section, headed by SSG James Wheatley has continued to
provide an outstanding work ethic within the platoon. SSG Wheatley was on leave for a portion of December, and the platoon
wishes him Happy Holidays. SGT Davis is currently in charge of the squad during SSG Wheatley’s leave and is also gaining experience
on the road as the Assistant Convoy Commander, one of the most important roles in the success of a resupply mission. SGT Cuevas is
doing a great job of maintaining the platoon’s vehicle availability, as he’s taken charge of ensuring all vehicles are being properly maintained
and dispatched so the platoon can conduct its CLP’s without delay. SGT Cuevas, while ensuring the platoon’s vehicles are available,
also doubles as a Cargo truck commander for resupply missions. Cargo section gave up four Soldiers with two PLS trucks to
assist A CO Headquarters element in their move to a new location, receiving praise for their hard work from A CO Commander,
Captain Pitkin. The section also welcomed back CPL Jennings this month and his Soldiers and colleagues are excited
to put him back to work.
Cargo section continues to improve every day on the road, mastering the skill of maneuvering larger vehicles through the crowded
and narrow streets of Kandahar City. Ammo section, headed by SSG Chris Shores, continues to be a
driving force within the platoon, still providing the lead gun-truck for nearly every mission with SPC Hanrahan as his driver. The squad
celebrated SPC Hanrahan and newly pinned SPC Lopez’ birthdays this month. Also, congratulations go out to recently promoted
SPC Whittemore and SPC Clingmon. These young Soldiers with the leadership of their NCO’s and team leaders continue
to prove themselves, working countless hours and driving supply vehicles for the CLPs. Ammo section’s hard work
and continued success as the platoon’s mounted navigation experts is a testament to their section
leadership and desire to persistently improve.
POL section, headed by SSG David Rambo Sawyer has had a very busy and successful month, assisting the BN in the capture of a Taliban
leader, issuing over 100,000 gallons of fuel, and assisting A CO in establishing their fuel operations at the new location. During the
return trip on a routine logistics patrol, SPC Santana, driving the M978 Fuel Hemtt, spotted a vehicle on the Battalion watch list.
Santana’s truck commander, SGT Juarez called up the vehicle to the Convoy Commander, who then relayed the message to BN, then a
patrol was sent to the location of interest, eventually ending in the capture of one of the BN’s high value Taliban cell leaders. Also,
for their experiences in the earlier months of the deployment, SGT ‘Babyface’ Coburn and SPC Mallet recently received the Combat
Action Badge. The section is constantly improving the platoon’s motor-pool area and assisted 1SG Calvert in improving
Hotel California’s entry control point. SFC Jarmon and I are constantly impressed by the platoon and our growing reputation
among Task Force Regulars and Kandahar City. Give us a task, and no matter how difficult it may be, we will continue to succeed.

December Birthdays:
SPC Little- 6 Dec
SPC Berroa- 6 Dec
PFC Ebel- 6 Dec
SGT Mcbroom- 7 Dec
SPC Chilson- 9Dec
SGT Cuevas- 15 Dec
SGT Wingate- 19 Dec
SPC Battle- 23 Dec
SPC Beebe- 24 Dec
PFC Mitchell- 25 Dec
PFC Byelick- 28 Dec
PFC Taylor- 31 Dec
PFC Velazquez- 31 Dec
December Promotions:
SGT Sutton
SPC Clingmon
SPC Mallet
SPC Wray
SPC Frye
SPC Chen
SPC Lopez
SPC Tremblay
PFC Ebel
PFC McKinney
PV2 Hammond
Awards:
SPC Dias- Good Conduct Medal
SGT Turnipseed- Good Conduct Medal
SGT Wiblishouser- Good Conduct Medal
SGT Crosby- Combat Action Badge
SGT Coburn- Combat Action Badge
SPC Olney- Combat Action Badge
SPC Hughes- Combat Action Badge
SPC Schmidt- Combat Action Badge
PFC Mullet- Combat Action Badge
PFC Neal- Combat Action Badge
PFC Ducharme- Combat Action Badge
PFC Frye- Combat Action Badge

December Re-Enlistments
One of the most honorable duties as an officer is administering
the enlistment oath for an enlisted Soldier with the colors presented.
This month, several enlisted Soldiers were able to work
duty assignments and bonuses with our company and battalion reenlistment
NCOs to extend their service in the United States Army.
PFC Skidmore
Recent Babies
Special congratulations go out to three Families this month with
new additions to the Eliminator and Regular Team. SPC Daniel
Beaumont and his wife Andrea for the birth of their son, Jude
Trent Beaumont! He was born November 17th and weighed 7lbs, 8
oz. SGT Derrek Syroka and his wife Shawna also deserve warm
welcome for their daughter, Makenzy Leigh Syroka! She was born
on December 5th and weighed 5lbs, 19oz. Last and certainly not
least we welcome A’vaya Marie Taylor. She was born to the proud
parents of PFC Montera Taylor and his wife Leslie. A’vaya was
born on December 14th weighing 7lbs, 5oz. We wish you all the
best and look forward to meeting your new Family members!

L Troop made the most of the holidays, enjoying brief but well-deserved respites on Thanksgiving and
Christmas to eat great food, watch films, and compete in multi-player Call of Duty tourneys. On Thanksgiving,
SPC Toth had the dubious privilege to be my partner for a Call of Duty tournament at Checkpoint 8-1 to
decide who would enjoy 24-hours off; suffice to say SPC Toth served as RTO with his characteristic professionalism
the next day. We were also lucky enough to see BLUE at PSS8; we don’t see them enough these
days. On Christmas Eve at PSS8, we hosted a visit by the 3rd Army Commander, LTG Webster, and the 75th
Commander of the Regiment, COL Blackburn; they shared stories and holiday cheer around our communal
burn barrel. In all cases, your troopers feasted well on the wonderful food provided by the Forward
Support Company of 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry, and prepared by the highly proficient cooks of our own 4th
Squadron Headquarters and Headquarters Troop. Naturally, the holidays are not the same without
you, the members of the LIGHTNING Troop Family. All of us miss you terribly. The phone calls, emails, letters,
and care packages do wonders for our morale.
Please keep us in your prayers and may the new year find you happy and well.

Happy Holidays from GREASED (German-based, Reconnaissance Enabled Asset, Stryker Enhanced Deployed) Lightning!
Hope your holiday celebrations brought as much joy as your letters and care packages brought us. Big thanks
from all the Soldiers for the stockings sent by the Lightning Ladies. The platoon has been working hard supporting the troop the last few
months with the move from beautiful Spin Vegas to the more austere and less amenable Police Substation 8. While we do miss our hot chow,
showers and gym equipment, we are making the most of our little outpost. SGT Day, SPC Dobbs and SPC Lemke,
of the Commander’s crew, have been busy escorting CPT Mikkelsen around the district--visiting 3rd Platoon up
north, 2nd and Mortar Platoons in the East, and attending an innumerable amount of meetings in the South. They don’t complain
too much, as long they get hot chow on their tour of the area! SGT Day has also been helping
out 2nd platoon by putting some miles (many) on his boots while some of their guys are on leave.
When he is not on patrol with 1st Platoon, SGT Blackwelder has been a versatile carpenter and supervisor around the
Police Sub-Station (PSS), as his construction experience has drastically improved the living conditions. The
entire TOC crew (radio guys) expressed immediate gratitude as the coffee was kept them in the Port-a-Jons more than at work!
SGT Blackwelder arrived just in time to see his Oklahoma Sooners knock off the UCONN Puppies for a BCS win this year.
SGT Acosta, the Troop Supply Guy, also recently back from leave has truly been all over the place. Due to our relocation
our equipment and supplies seemed to be scattered all over Afghanistan, SGT Acosta is busy trying to get
it all back to us. He doesn’t complain much though as he gets the amenity rich environment of Kandahar Air Base regularly.
PFC Smith has also been organizing and supplying the troop here at the PSS and has been a big help to
the newest GREASED member: 1LT Webster, who came over from Maddog Troop to replace CPT Donofrio
when he left for Regimental Staff. 1LT Webster had a great Christmas this year as LTG Webster along with COL Blackburn
visited for the holidays, a good time was had by all. Last, but not least, recently promoted CPL Robinson has been keeping us
all healthy as the winter has set in here in Kandahar City. He was spotted just the other day putting a scarf on Soldier telling him:
“That’s how you’ll catch a cold!” He has been a great stand in nurse for the Troop during the cold and
flu season--wish he had a nurse’s outfit!
With the deployment more than half over, we are all anxiously “leaning forward in the saddle” to reuniting with our
wonderful wives and children, you all just have to wait a little longer for your Scouts to Return to Base!
Once Again, from the Officers, NCOs and Soldiers from GREASED Lightning,
Happy Holidays, we love and miss you, and a Happy New Year.

Greetings and Happy New Year to the friends and Family of Lightning Red!
You’ll be happy to know that the platoon made it through the Holiday Season strong, making great operational
breakthroughs in Kandahar City. Unfortunately, Christmas and New Years proved to be very busy days for the
platoon, but their efforts were not without reward detaining several possible insurgents and finding insurgent caches in the AO.
Along with those gains, the platoon continues to build great rapport with the local population and
frequently plays with the local children on patrol. In spite of the long hours and lack of rest, the platoon’s morale is higher than ever,
with the shared hardships of constantly patrolling bringing them together more than ever. Christmas Eve proved to be
a special affair with the platoon passing out small gifts to one another and smoking cigars around the COP burn barrel.
A humble, but enjoyable holiday memory for everyone. New Year’s Eve found the platoon at the Battalion HQ to watch
CPT Mikkelsen and SSG Barr ride camels. Nothing brings in the New Year like watching the Troop HQ ride
camels around a COP in Afghanistan. We’ve put the seventh month of the deployment behind us and look forward
to the last few months of fulfilling our missions and coming home to all of you. We hope the new year finds
you all well and in good spirits, can’t wait to see you all soon.

Happy Holidays from Kandahar City! Although we all wish we could be spending this season with our friends and Family,
your Lightning Troopers remain focused on the mission at hand and continue to excel in everything
that they do. We continue to build effective relationships with the local population, and they are beginning to provide information
and cooperate in a manner unheard of three months ago. They have stated that, without a doubt, they feel much safer
than they have in the past. All of this is due to the tireless efforts of our young Soldiers, who have walked well over 650
miles since arriving here in Kandahar City. Naturally, any Holiday Season would not be complete without celebrations.
We celebrated Christmas with quite a feast in our DFAC, and Lightning 6, Captain Mikkelsen, participated in serving food
to our Troopers. Additionally, our ANCOP partners were invited to dinner and thoroughly enjoyed
their first Christmas meal. Our Troopers spent the early morning hours of 2011 conducting a security patrol,
and New Year’s was thankfully ushered in without any unplanned fireworks.
We are proud of the recent addition of SGT Quitugua to the E-6 list. Additionally, SPC Payne successfully passed his NCO board,
allowing his promotion to Corporal. We also welcome PFC Vokes back from well-deserved R&R.
Additionally, Specialist Toth, Specialist Green, and Staff Sergeant Reyes chose to continue their service to our countr
and were all reenlisted on the roof of our COP. I could not be more proud of the fine group of men that I lead and
you have every right to be proud of them as well. Your prayers and support are always appreciated, and until next time,
Happy New Years and Toujour Pret!

Big Hello to all the Family and friends of Lightning Blue!
We continue to live separate from the rest of Lightning, but spirits remain high during the Holiday Season. Blue also made
our own Christmas tree, and it was decorated with all the great ornaments and candy canes sent in all of your exquisite care
packages. As always, we cannot thank you enough for your prayers, thoughts, and gifts. Being connected to everyone at
home truly makes time more enjoyable and meaningful while deployed. I am extremely proud to be part of this highly motivated
and professional team. Despite constant changes and challenges, the level of performance from Blue is second to
none. We look forward to seeing everyone soon and sharing many incredible stories.

Since the last time, we have had Thanksgiving and Christmas with our brother-Soldiers. The Thanksgiving dinner
we had at COP 8-1 was fantastic. It was a traditional meal with all the standards of turkey,
mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce and pie. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we were joined by our ANCOP brethren
who were extremely pleased to share it with us. The Christmas dinner did not disappoint either with ham serving as the staple.
There were also plenty of pictures taken and a bit of time off to relax and contact Family. MTR PLT has continued to do
absolutely outstanding things in the city. Our positive reputation with the locals continues to grow.
Your Trooper is the reason for the success the area benefits from. The security that the people of Kalacheh are so
thankful for is a direct and immediate result of your Trooper in MTR PLT. The professionalism
they demonstrate and effect they have is shown every day, even holidays. They have always been respectful and patient even when it
is easier not to. Know that you have every reason to be proud of them and the job they do each day … especially during this time
when all that anyone really wants is to be together again.

The 2nd PLT Diablo’s enjoyed the holidays together while living at their police sub-station in Kandahar, Afghanistan. They were able to
relax a little on Christmas day from the normal high tempo of daily patrols and Afghan Police mentorship. On New Year’s Eve, the
Diablo’s were able to enjoy a cold near beer as the New Year reigned in here in Afghanistan.
Nothing takes the place of spending the holiday’s home with friends and Family but thanks to many phone cards received from
multiple organizations every Diablo was afforded the opportunity to call home throughout the Holiday Season. All of the Diablo’s enjoyed
the Christmas ornament and the compilation video of Diablo’s young and old with pictures of loved ones made by the FRG. Thanks
to the help of both friends and Family, the Diablo’s are in high spirits and continue to perform above and beyond what is asked of them.
Diablo 7 and I wish everyone back home Happy Holidays! We also want to thank you all for your best wishes and prayers. We know
that nothing lifts the spirits of our fellow Diablo’s then hearing and receiving care packages from Family and friends back home. It is our
pleasure and privilege to lead such great Soldiers through this deployment.